Savory and Sweet: CocoaV and ‘Snice

October 19, 2010

Last week I decided to re-visit my longtime favorite lunch spot, ‘Snice on 45 8th Ave at W 4th St. with some friends as we were on our way to The High Line (yes even though I am a devout hipster I am ashamed to admit I had never been). I have always fancied their delicious, individually packages and waay overpriced Red Velvet cupcakes (their price increased from around 1.50 to about 2.62, geez!), but for some reason I found them to be a bit stale this time around. Though they did decorate them Halloween-style with orange icing and a choice of translucent vampire fangs and spider rings (for you plastic-haters out there, maybe this is not such a hot addition for y’all), and I forgot to take pics of them, so sorry ~_~ but they weren’t that great anyhow!! The icing was too thick and sweet, and the cake itself was a bit too dry for my taste (I like a moist cake, dunno about you) 1.5 out of 5 carrots.

Well onto the actual food! I had the Philly-style Seitan sammy, which had some delicious melted vegan cheddar all over, yummm. The seitan was perfectly marinated and though without some Sriracha sauce on top it would have been just a bit bland, this really didn’t take away from the whole sandwich-experience. The bread, as well, was fresh and toasty, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. 4.5 out of 5 carrots!

I really enjoyed this hearty sandwich. I like tucking the salad into my sandwich beforehand!The seitan is seasoned well and tastes delicious in this sandwich.

Next up we have CocoaV, which is a fancy little chocolate and gourmet wine cafe in the style of Godiva (but way more awesome and I daresay healthier). Created by one of the co-founders of the famous Blossom and Cafe Blossom vegan restaurants (of which I am not that fond of myself– Blossom, haven’t tried Cafe Blossom yet), Pamela Elizabeth, CocoaV is 100% vegan, kosher, fair trade, and organic. They offer bonbons, truffles, barks, cookies, brownies and cakes, all which are made in their cozy little kitchen in the back of the shop.

I bought about 6 different pieces of chocolate: Silk Chocolate Truffle, Hazelnut Truffle, Coconut Truffle (my mother ate this one without my consent so I didn’t get to try it -_-), Coconut Caramel Bonbon, Jasmine Tea with Caramel Bonbon, Pistapple/Pistachio and Apple Bonbon, and Pecan Praline (which I gave away, so no review :( ). I will review each separately.

The Silk Chocolate Truffle had a smooth taste, but I did not care for the contrast of the bitter cacao powder dusting on the outer part. The truffle is actually a shell with a softer, creamy inside, not a whole, solid piece. 4 out of 5 carrots.

The Hazelnut Truffle was tastier than the silk I felt, with bits of hazelnut embedded in the creamy center. 4.5 out of 5 carrots.

The Coconut Caramel Bonbon was incredibly sweet with a sticky, dessicated-coconut inside. I love coconut but still thought this confection could have been a bit more imaginative. 3.5 out of 5 carrots.

I loved the Jasmine Tea Bonbon, which had a subtle tea flavor and a not-too overpowering sweetness and lovely not-overtly-syrupy consistency for the middle. 5 out of 5 carrots!

The Pistapple (I love saying that) was not my favorite. The filling reminded me of a sour-y marmalade, chunky and really not very remarkable at all. So, if you like orange marmalade, then you’d love this one. 3 out of 5 carrots.

I also had their lovely spiced Hot Chocolate, which was 3.75 and comes in either spiced or plain. The spiced version is indeed spicy, with the addition of cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, allspice, and lots of other ones I don’t remember. Though it was indeed tasty, I felt it was obnoxiously sweet and kept wanting to add soymilk to lessen the dominating sugary-ness. My taste buds were seriously in shock, and NOT in a good way. 2.5 out of 5 carrots.

A note I would like to make is that they have a fully-stocked First Aid kit in the very homey restroom, so just FYI!

Overall I much enjoyed the ambiance and the helpfulness of the staff, who were extremely personable and attentive. And, I might add, attractive :D

Going back for the pastries and baked goods next time! Cupcakes and cookies, beware!!

Who is Vegan Chao?

Being vegan means so much more than just a diet. It's a way of life and though it can be tough, I'm here to give you tips, tricks and guidance on how to live a greener, leaner, kinder life, one carrot at a time!